NRL club St George Illawarra have sacked prop Paul Vaughan for hosting a party that breached virus protocols over the weekend.
Paul Vaughan has been sacked by St George Illawarra after the prop hosted an illegal party at his home last Saturday which was attended by 12 other Dragons players.
In an emergency meeting on Tuesday, the board decided to tear up the remaining 15 months of his deal which was worth around $750,000 per season.
Vaughan apologised for the incident via an Instagram post on Tuesday.
“My actions were stupid, unexplainable and irresponsible,” he wrote
“The events that took place on the weekend were thoughtless and disrespectful to not only the game that I love, but to all of the sponsors, members and fans as well as the broader community.
“The reality is, I should have known better and I am truly sorry.
“I have let a lot of people down through my actions, and I hope that this sincere apology shows how deeply sorry I am and that I realise the enormity and stupidity of what I have done.
“To say that I have learnt a lesson from this is an understatement. I hope one day in the future, I can get the opportunity to showcase my remorse through better actions on and off the field.
“Again, I apologise to my team mates, the NRL, the Club, its members, sponsors and fans along with all stakeholders in the game and community.”
Vaughan was already fined $50,000 by the NRL and slapped with an eight-game ban for breaching COVID-19 protocols, as well as fined by NSW Police for breaking the health order.
“The St George Illawarra Dragons have handed down additional club-imposed sanctions to the 13 players who breached NRL biosecurity protocols and state government public health orders on Saturday night,” the club said in a statement.
“The remainder of Paul Vaughan’s playing contract has been terminated, effective immediately, as a result of now a number of breaches that include and predate the current matter.
“Vaughan was contracted to the Dragons until the end of the 2022 season.
“The remaining 12 players will be issued with individual breach notices containing a confidential monetary fine that will be forwarded to selected local charities as well as compulsory extracurricular club service.”
Dragons CEO Ryan Webb said: The board haven’t taken any of the 13 players’ actions lightly and reinforced this on Tuesday morning by taking these additional actions including the termination of Paul Vaughan’s contract.
“The club maintains it holds no reservations over the punishments already handed down by the NRL Integrity Unit and New South Wales Police.
“These additional penalties have been determined in such a way that the beneficiaries will be those affected by the players’ misconduct.”
I guess you have it all sorted then. perhaps he should have been given the electric chair.
mushi
Roar Guru
That's not harsh that's how disciplinary processes work. Even then - 2018 was only 3 years ago so he's averaged out to 1 a year! How often does someone need to be formally reprimanded for you to think it's fair? Every second day? To me it seems abundantly reasonable to terminate the contract of someone who you have to formally performance manage three times in a three year span. As for the "we all know". Of course why would you want to pay someone who is habitually insubordinate lots of money. We also all know that even if the NRL wasn't aware - he most certainly was aware he had two reprimands. We also know that he should have been aware he was Gonski on the next one and yet decided to do it anyway.
Gray-hand firstly the first error in behaviour was in 2018 and Saints thought so badly of it they hid it from the NRL and the press. other players have said it was a post Warriors party and was not pre planned His actions were dumb but hardly worthy of the sack. And the reaction is what has destroyed Saints. As I said a couple of days ago the Saints actions is what will cost them this season and maybe a couple of seasons to come. They decided to sack him where the NRL had not and they have split the players down the middle. You say his actions were dumb rather than malicious and I agree but the punishment is very malicious and does not fit the crime and does not reflect what the NRL thought he deserved. SO its Saints decisions not PVs that have now impacted the Saints. If it had been handled much better Paul himself would probably have been the best person to unite the players and maybe that would have been the case and maybe it would'nt have been but it was the best shot Saints had of becoming a united playing group. Now they are splintered. Not that I care Im no saints fan.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
It was his third strike, and his second covid related screw up. And this one was a major screw up with catastrophic results. It has killed their season. He set up the whole party, so he is way more responsible for it than anyone else. I have genuine sympathy for someone like him who has effed his life by doing something dumb rather than malicious, but his punishment is proportional to the harm he has caused.
GregM
Roar Rookie
while everyone is rightfully ripping into Vaughan - why aren't the "other 12" who attended being held more accountable? Each and everyone of them could / should have said "nah mate, can't come - coach told us not to"
KenW
Roar Rookie
That makes no sense. The only thing these guys should be feeling is shame that they contributed to their mate getting fired, and got off lightly themselves. Blaming the admin would show zero personal responsibility, any sign of that should result in some more contracts being torn up.
Mushi the first strike was in 2018 and was never bought to the NRLs attention so holding that against him seems harsh but I think we all know that they sacked him because they dont like paying him so much money and he gave them an opportunity. So they took it.
He got sacked. they got a week and a few thousand in fines. He as the host has certainly been treated very differently to them and 1 or 2 can very much influence the room. If I was at the party I reckon I would be quite angry about the punishment of one guy v the others and if I was at the party it would be because PV and I got on very well. As far as the law is concerned all players were in the wrong.
The admin for sacking a mate that did what they did is who they could get angry at. The Coach for backing the admin over the players.
GregM
Roar Rookie
Paul Vaughan 2020 - “I am very remorseful for the reckless and selfish decision I have made,” Vaughan said. “Everyone within the Dragons’ bubble, including myself, are well aware of the protocols in place. I’m sorry for the harm my actions have caused to the club and my teammates.” - maybe his brain's like an "etch a sketch" where he shakes his melon and forgets everything prior? https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-st-george-illawarra-dragons-forward-paul-vaughan-breaches-coronavirus-protocols/news-story/39f807496ce2010cc0ca88682fa430c7
GregM
Roar Rookie
they will claim dementia / short term memory loss from 1 too many high shots to the melon so they forgot what the club, coach & state Govt told them about no parties
GregM
Roar Rookie
he must be in the ceiling crawl space
GregM
Roar Rookie
“ Pin the tail on the Donkey” - thought it was "pin the mullet on Ziggy!" https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ziggys-mullet/photos (pic 10 of 14). that's one suh-wheet mullet
GregM
Roar Rookie
interesting listening to Hadley read out Vaughans statement about covid, doing wrong blah blah - from when he was busted last year
up in the north
Roar Rookie
He seems to think he's got a future in the game. Has to be delusional.
Paulie
Guest
Leaguies will they ever get it...i doubt it
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
& PV's wife would always appear on the TV without makeup for the sympathy vote
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
have any of these twerps posted party pics on social media? if not – they have learnt something re Mitchell / Addo-Carr last year. the next group of players to break the law re lockdown will also have learnt – keep the noise down & park your car 2 blocks away
mushi
Roar Guru
Really - after three formal reprimands you would keep an employee? He's done this to himself, it's clear he doesn't care about what management think or ask of him
mushi
Roar Guru
Zero sympathy - apparently the Dragons told him explicitly not to do it. and he did.